Large containers for storing flowable food products used in food service or in bulk product sales typically are provided in a rigid jar, made out of a rigid plastic material, and with a large opening. The large opening may be as large as or almost as large as the container is wide. A rigid handle can be located on the side of such jar for transporting and for assistance in transferring the product from the jar. The large opening can allow the user to be able to reach inside with a spoon or other utensil and scrape any residual product from the interior of the jar in an effort to transfer all or substantially all of the product to another smaller container or cup and to ensure that nothing is wasted. However, such a large opening in the jar does not readily facilitate controlled pouring into smaller dosing cups or containers. In order to transfer to a smaller sized container, a user often has to insert a utensil or cup into the jar and scoop out the necessary amount to transfer. Not only is an extra object being introduced into the container, but the user's entire hand may be inserted through the opening or otherwise in contact with the existing product, both of which can lead to product contamination if the product stored therein is contacted.
Another type of large container or bag can be made out of a flexible plastic film material having a rigid spout or fitment attached. A top handle can be attached and may be made of a rigid material, such as a rigid plastic material, and can be positioned on top of the container adjacent the pour spout or attached to the pour spout itself. The rigid handle can assist in carrying the bag and can be used to assist in holding and directing the bag during product transfer. However, the rigid handle on a flexible container can interfere with pouring the product from the container. When the product is being transferred from the flexible container by holding the rigid handle adjacent to or on the pour spout, the flexible container may bend or buckle at the flexible material around the neck of the spout, thus restricting the opening at the neck and making product transfer difficult. Furthermore, in order to pour the product out of such a large container, the user often has to grab the bottom wall or surface of the container for additional support when inverting the container, which is not practical for maintaining a firm grip on the container.
Other flexible containers may have a lower and/or an upper gripping flap that is an extension of the bag material and further having at least two small finger holes therein. This type of flexible bag does not have a top wall since the sidewalls terminate in this upper gripping flap. The bag only has a bottom wall and upstanding sidewalls that come together at the top to form a seal or closed edge. Thus, because there is no top wall of the bag, the pour spout is located in a sidewall of the bag. The position of the pour spout hinders the complete evacuation of the product inside the bag. If the bag is inverted in an upside down position, or approximately 180 degrees, in an attempt to fully evacuate the bag contents by letting gravity act upon it, some of the product can get stuck adjacent the upper gripping flap of the bag and below the inverted spout, unable to be poured out through the spout.
If it is desired to evacuate all of the product from within the flexible bag having a side spout, then the user may release the upper gripping flap and use that hand to apply pressure to the flexible bag in an effort to squeeze out the remaining product. When squeezing the remaining product, the bag is often in an inverted position with the top of the bag generally perpendicular to the receiving receptacle below. In this position, the remaining product can be squeezed out of the spout but it may drip out onto a portion of the sidewall of the bag and/or a portion of the upper gripping flap, which are positioned below the spout when the bag Is inverted, before it is received into the intended receiving receptacle below. This can cause sanitary concerns because the product can become contaminated since the exterior of the bag may not be fully clean or sterile.